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INDYSTAR: Lance Stephenson contract situation

The Indiana Pacers are enjoying their best start as an NBA franchise and four-year guard Lance Stephenson is showing vast improvement as he adds raw energy and now a refined shooting touch to one of the best starting fives in the league.

So, of course, it makes sense that Stephenson — who becomes an unrestricted free agent next summer — would have a positive outlook regarding his future with the team.

Stephenson wants to stay with the Pacers, and his wish could very well come true.

Although the Pacers have roughly $60 million in salary committed for the 2014-15 season —including two huge contracts belonging to Paul George and Roy Hibbert — when Stephenson hits the open market, Indiana can theoretically offer him a max five-year deal while still avoiding the NBA luxury tax.

“I wouldn’t want to leave a good team like this. I definitely would love to come back,” Stephenson said. “I just love the city. I love the team. I love who I play with and I feel like we’re a young group and I think we should stick together.”

Through five games this season, Stephenson is averaging 16.4 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Although it may be early, the numbers far exceed his career averages (6.7 ppg, 3 rpg, 2.3 apg). Even more appealing, Stephenson has fixed his inconsistent jump shot and is now shooting 53.8 percent from 3-point range.

While effortlessly stepping back into a starting role in the absence of veteran forward Danny Granger (strained left calf), who could be out two more weeks, Stephenson has formed a dynamic duet with George. Before Wednesday’s victory over Chicago, Stephenson and George ranked second in most points among Eastern Conference teammate duos behind only LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

In the final year of his rookie contract, Stephenson will make $1,005,000 this season but could become an in-demand free agent by the summer. Still, he has made his preferred destination clear while keeping his faith in the Pacers front office.

“The future holds itself,” Stephenson said, “and I think Larry (Bird) and the people upstairs will do anything to keep me here.”

That “anything” can even surpass what another suitor can use to woo Stephenson.

As the Pacers’ 2010 second-round draft pick, Stephenson is an eligible “Bird rights” player, which means he has spent at least three years with the same team. The “Bird rights” — named after team president Larry Bird during his playing days with the Boston Celtics — allows teams to exceed the salary cap by re-signing their own players. So, in theory, even with the eight guaranteed contracts for the 2014-15 season totaling approximately $60 million, the Pacers can use this exception to the cap and re-sign Stephenson with a “max” deal — which would be 25 percent of the salary cap. Since the 2014-15 salary cap will not be announced until next summer, the max is unknown.

Also because of the “Bird rights,” Stephenson can get a five-year deal from Indiana while other teams can only offer four years.

This season, Indiana is above the NBA salary cap set at $58.679 million but below the luxury tax level at $71.748 million. The team has traditionally operated under the tax threshold and can continue the trend even if it offers Stephenson a lucrative deal.

Recent cases with breakout second-round picks suggest Stephenson could become a wealthy man next summer. Goran Dragic, the 45th pick in the 2008 draft, re-signed with Phoenix for a four-year deal worth $34 million. Also, DeAndre Jordan, who was picked 10 spots above Dragic in 2008, stayed with the Los Angeles Clippers after the team matched his four-year, $43 million offer sheet from Golden State.

These are not direct comparisons but Stephenson, the 40th overall selection in 2010, can raise his stock if he maintains the current production.

In October, Bird declined to discuss the summer free agency and the futures of Stephenson and Granger — “I’m not concerned about Lance, I’m not concerned about Danny. I’m just concerned about the guys we have and how we’re going to play going forward,” Bird said in an interview with The Star.

Even so, Stephenson said that although he and Bird have not talked directly about the future, the president has shared encouraging signs with the player.

“(Bird) basically says it when he sees me, so I don’t think we need to talk about it,” Stephenson said, then revealed Bird’s message to him: “‘You’re next.’ He’ll say stuff like that.”

Re: INDYSTAR: Lance wants 5 yr Max Contract

The headline doesn't seem to match the content. All the quotes are just rhetoric about Lance wanting to stay in Indiana, and then a bunch of speculation from the author about what he potentially could get paid. But there's no indication in the text that Lance is expecting or gunning for a max contract.

The headline doesn't seem to match the content. All the quotes are just rhetoric about Lance wanting to stay in Indiana, and then a bunch of speculation from the author about what he potentially could get paid. But there's no indication in the text that Lance is expecting or gunning for a max contract.

I thought so as well, but it's the actual title of her article which is why I put it down.

Re: INDYSTAR: Lance wants 5 yr Max Contract

So who put the crappiest copy editor on staff with Candace?

"Nobody wants to play against Tyler Hansbrough NO BODY!" ~ Frank Vogel

"And David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone and slung it. And it struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen. "
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Re: INDYSTAR: Lance wants 5 yr Max Contract

I was just discussing this with someone else in reference to a different article - where the piece itself was quality and the title was WTF!? It's really a bummer that reporters don't write their own headlines routinely. I am glad I am not a reporter, as this would drive me bonkers. I have a friend in the industry (newspaper reporter) and he rants about this issue regularly.

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Re: INDYSTAR: Lance wants 5 yr Max Contract

Gosh I gotta reserve judgment. The article says nothing about the real numbers Lance could get, but the headline says MAX deal. Meaning a PG like contract? THis is terrible. I'm just wrought with ire over this right now. Somebody Tweet Lance and ask him to clarify.

Re: INDYSTAR: Lance wants 5 yr Max Contract

Gosh I gotta reserve judgment. The article says nothing about the real numbers Lance could get, but the headline says MAX deal. Meaning a PG like contract? THis is terrible. I'm just wrought with ire over this right now. Somebody Tweet Lance and ask him to clarify.

Re: INDYSTAR: Lance wants 5 yr Max Contract

Gosh I gotta reserve judgment. The article says nothing about the real numbers Lance could get, but the headline says MAX deal. Meaning a PG like contract? THis is terrible. I'm just wrought with ire over this right now. Somebody Tweet Lance and ask him to clarify.

Or you could just tweet Candace. It's pretty clear that she did not write the headline...

"Nobody wants to play against Tyler Hansbrough NO BODY!" ~ Frank Vogel

"And David put his hand in the bag and took out a stone and slung it. And it struck the Philistine on the head and he fell to the ground. Amen. "
Want your own "Just Say No to Kamen" from @mkroeger pic? http://twitpic.com/a3hmca

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Re: INDYSTAR: Lance wants 5 yr Max Contract

My guess is that Lance's people are gonna use Tyreke Evan's contract as a starting point. Lance won't keeping shoot fifty percent from three but if he's shooting mid 40s with his athleticism, court vision and potential, how is he not worth 10 million-plus?

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Re: INDYSTAR: Lance wants 5 yr Max Contract

The only thing worse than the editor that came up with the bogus headline is the perpetuating of the BS by the thread originator. Its just wrong. He even says he knows its wrong yet he went ahead and did it. I mean seriously.

Re: INDYSTAR: Lance wants 5 yr Max Contract

8 mio per would be the max and if that aint enough and he is loud enough about it I would not even be amazed if LB trades him at the deadline for a pick or two

I agree if he can't be had for $8 million or less probably should just let him walk, but if he is going to be able to demand that kind of money I would rather keep him for a title run then trade him away for future uncertainty. This team has enough talent between Hill, George, and Hibbert (if Lance isn't back possibly Granger too) that going forward it is better to try and find pieces that fit well than spend a lot of money on Lance. Lance is playing great, this season will play an important role in winning a championship, but going forward if he can't be had at a reasonable price he is expendable.

Re: INDYSTAR: Lance Stephenson contract situation

Starting Combo Guard price range is $6 to 8 mil a year....basically what GH is getting. Anything beyond that...and you are heading into Borderline All-Star PG or SG territory....which I don't think that he is quite there yet.

Not that many Teams are below the cap enough to be able to offer that...and of the few....I don't see them exceeding the current Market Price as established by GH for a Starting Quality Combo Guard unless they really want to overpay.

The problem is that we have enough Capspace to cover the $6 mil a year contract ...but not enough ( without a trade of Copeland ) to cover a contract starting at $8 mil a year without going over the 2014-2015 LT.

Last edited by CableKC; 11-07-2013 at 08:08 PM.

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